Tympan-removing device for printing-presses



C. L. POST.

TYMPAN REMOVIN'G DEVICE FOR PRINTINIG PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED luLY22, 1920.

1,371,053, l A Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES CLAUDE L. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TYMPAN-REMOVING DEVICE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Application filed July 22, 1920.

T o all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLAUDE L. Posr, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tympan-Removing Devices for Printing-Presses, of which the followingis a description.

My present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon theinvention disclosed in my pending application filed N0- vember 28, 1919,Serial Number 341,059.

In said application it is pointed out that the device is adapted for usein connection with printing presses in which a tympan or paddingisprepared and maintained upon the platen or cylinder of the press tosecure the proper effect as the type is pressed upon the paper restingupon the tympan. The object of the invention is to produce a device ofsimple and effective construction and operation, which will permit theready removal of the tympan without in any way disturbing any of therelative parts thereof, and the replacement of the same in the sameeffective position upon the platen or cylinder for use in duplicateorders and the like. The object of the present invention is to make theclamping member by which the tympan is removed, maintained in properrelative position and may be replaced, more simple and reliable in itsoperation.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the platen of a press with the tympanthereon, and with my invention in position upon the platen preparatoryto removing the tympan thereom' Figi. 2 is a cross sectional viewsubstantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved clamp showing the edge of thetypman at the point where it is clamped to the angular corner, insection; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of one end of the device illustrating themeans of clamping the tympan in position.

In substantially all printing presses a tympan is employed consisting ofa plurality of sheets of suitable material carefully prepared andpositioned one upon the other and provided with guiding and gaging meansfor the sheets to be printed. The

Specification of Letters lPatent.`

Patented Mar. s, 1921. serial No. 398,060.

tympan in the drawings is indicated by the numeral 1. It is positionedupon a platen 2 and is rmly and reliably held in place by means of twoclamping bails 3 3 pivotally secured to the platen as at 4. The tympan,after being made up, is carefully positioned upon the platen, when thebail clamps 3-3 are forced down over the edge of the platen as indicatedin the drawings, firmly gripping the tympan between the bail and theedge of the platen. In general practice a separate tympan is made foreach job, and in duplicate orders a new one has to be made, as inremoving the tympan from the platen-it is usually destroyed and cannotbe used again for the same job. 5 indicates the protruding guiding andgaging ,elements carried by the tympan, and 6 the usual resilientmembersbeneath which the edge 0f the sheet to be printed is slipped to properlymaintain the sheets in position during the printing operation.

My improved clamp comprises a rigid sheet or extension 7, at its rearedge terminating in an angular shoulder 8. At each end of the sheetmember a rigid member 9 is secured to the sheet and serves not only as astrengthening member for the device, but also as a suitable support forthe bail clamp 10 which is pivotally connected to said rigid piece as at11. The bail clamp 10 is adapted when closed down upon the sheet memberto lie closely and snugly against the angular shoulder 8 in such manneras to clamp the edge of the tympan 1 thereto.

The mode of operation is as follows: Vhen the job is completed and it isdesired to remove the tympan, the bail 3 at one end or the other islifted up as shown in Fig. 1, releasing the edge of the tympan at thatedge of the platen. The sheet 7 of my device is then passed or slippedbetween the tympan and the platen, the angular shoulder at the rear ofthe device being pressed firmly .against the rear of the platen as agage.

The bail 10 is then forced down over the edge 8, firmly binding thetympan to the device at that point and engaging the angular edge in suchmanner as not to be readily or accidentally disengaged. VThe other bail3 is then released, when the tympan may be removed as a whole andsuitably stored for future use. As illustrated, the rear of the deviceis provided with suitable ears 12 having eyes or apertures 13 formedtherein, by

means of which the tympan may be suspended in a suitable rack orrepository. Vhen it is necessary to use the tympan again, suit ableindices being used to readily distinguish one from the other, the propertympan is taken down and the operation described is reversed. Raisingone of the bails 3, the shoulder upon the clamping device is broughtfirmly against the edge of the platen. The other edge of the tympancarefully positioned upon the platen and the bail 3 at that edge isbrought down upon it, clamping that edge to the platen. The bail 10 onthe retaining device is then raised, releasing the tympan and the clampremoved. The other bail 3 may then be forced down upon the edge of theplaten and the tympan Will be in the same position that it originallyoccupied upon the platen and may be eniployed as before.

Where in the claims I mention a platen, I Wish to be understood as alsoincluding a cylinder or equivalent part on which the tympan is used.

Having thus described my invention, it is Vobvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my. invention; hence I do not Wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction andcombination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

lli/hat I claim as new and desire to secure by VLetters Patent is:

l. A. tympan clamping member comprising a rigid sheet adapted to extendbetween .the tympan and the platen, and with an angular shoulder adaptedto extend longitudinally near the edge of the tympan, in combinationwith a bail clamp pivotally connected to the ends of the sheet andadapted to close snugly down over the angular shoulder to clamp the edgeof the tympan thereto.

2. A tympanclamping member comprising a rigid sheet'adapted to extendbetween the tympan and the platen. and provided with an angular gagingshoulder adapted to extend longitudinally near the edge ofthe tympan andin Contact With the edge of the platen, in combination with a bail clamppivotally connected to the ends of the sheet and adapted to close snuglydown over the angular shoulder to clamp the edge of the tympan thereto.y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

CLAUDE L. BUST. Witnesses:

ROY W. HILL, BERTHA HARTMANN.

